John 16: Sadness and Joy

Jesus is about to die. He says that his disciples will become sad for some days (for his death), but after that, their grief will turn into joy (for his resurrection) as a woman in labor. 
It is very good to have prayers answered:

23-24 “This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I’ve revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he’ll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks!

The Spirit will be with the disciples, revealing more and more about Jesus. The Spirit will bring the disciples into communion with the Lord. Even though it is painful to live in this world, this sadness will be turned into joy due to the communion with the Father.

John 15: United with Jesus

Jesus is the vine. We are the branches. We live and produce grapes because we are in the vine.
Although Jesus is about to be crucified, he has joy because he says:

7 If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
 

I glorify the Father when I bear fruit. I will bear fruit when I remain in Jesus, when I love others. May the love of the Lord flow through me; may my joy be full. My son has some psychiatric problem. He lies a lot and in doing so, I am afraid he departs from reality. May the Lord bless my son through me. May Truth and Love save him from madness.

John 14: Jesus is preparing a place for me

Jesus is about to be crucified. He had already take the Lord's Supper with his disciples. In his last moments, Jesus assures that he will not abandon his disciples. Jesus is going to his Father's house but not only that, he will prepare a place to each one of his disciples. 

NASB 1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be. 4 And you know the way where I am going.” 

Now, imagine that Jesus is preparing a house to one of his disciples but something goes wrong: this disciple falls into temptation and can't go to this house. Strange, isn't it? It is much easier to believe that Jesus is with each disciple, not only preparing his place but also strengthening him in the faith.

John 13: Jesus foresaw

Why the disciples spread the gospel and suffered for it? In the Lord's Supper, Jesus foresaw his betrayal and after that, he said:

19 From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it does happen, you may believe that I am He. 20 Truly, truly I say to you, the one who receives anyone I send, receives Me; and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

The disciples understood that everything, Judas betrayal included, was under the control of Father and the Son.
Besides, in the Lord's Supper Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, Judas included. As Jesus came from heaven to earth for our sake, so Jesus that should have his feet washed, washed his disciples feet. Peter was very aware that it was weird to have his feet washed by the King, but what did Judas think? Judas judged Jesus when he was worshiped by Mary. An evil guy see bad things even when seeing good things.

John 12: the Messiah arrives in Jerusalem

The resurrection of Lazarus appears only in the gospel of John. Many Jews wanted to see Lazarus and Jesus. Lazarus, Martha and Maria lived in Bethany, a city near Jerusalem. Jesus went to their house where Maria worships Jesus: she anoints the feet of Jesus with a very expensive perfume and wiped them with her hair. It was very disturbing to Judas to see that. Jesus said that Maria was honoring the day of his burial that was coming soon. From Bethany, Jesus goes to Jerusalem where he is cheered as the Messiah, the king of Israel. In both events Jesus never said: "I am just a man, honor the Lord instead". By contrary, it is very important to accept Jesus as the Logos, Word of the Lord:

47-50 “If anyone hears what I am saying and doesn’t take it seriously, I don’t reject him. I didn’t come to reject the world; I came to save the world. But you need to know that whoever puts me off, refusing to take in what I’m saying, is willfully choosing rejection. The Word, the Word-made-flesh that I have spoken and that I am, that Word and no other is the last word. I’m not making any of this up on my own. The Father who sent me gave me orders, told me what to say and how to say it. And I know exactly what his command produces: real and eternal life. That’s all I have to say. What the Father told me, I tell you.”

John 11: the light and the darkness

Jesus is the light that came to shine on this world. Through him, all who trust in him, have life. Jesus made a great sign to show this reality: he resurrected Lazarus. Jesus said that this sign would happen in favor of his disciples:

14-15 Then Jesus became explicit: “Lazarus died. And I am glad for your sakes that I wasn’t there. You’re about to be given new grounds for believing. Now let’s go to him.”

After the resurrection, many were led to believe in Jesus:

45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.

The darkness fought against the light:

47-48 The high priests and Pharisees called a meeting of the Jewish ruling body. “What do we do now?” they asked. “This man keeps on doing things, creating God-signs. If we let him go on, pretty soon everyone will be believing in him and the Romans will come and remove what little power and privilege we still have.”
53 From that day on, they plotted to kill him. So Jesus no longer went out in public among the Jews. 

It is very interesting that Jesus saw the resurrection of Lazarus, not only to ground the faith of his disciples but also to glorify him, the Son of God.

4 When Jesus got the message, he said, “This sickness is not fatal. It will become an occasion to show God’s glory by glorifying God’s Son.”

John 10: blasphemy

In John 10, Jesus continues in Jerusalem. People are asking among themselves: "Is Jesus the Messiah?". Thus, they ask Jesus.  

22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple area, in the portico of Solomon. 24 The Jews then surrounded Him and began saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep. 27 My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Jesus answered that he had already told (that he is the Messiah indeed) but they didn't believe, however, some believed because the Lord (the Father) sent them to him. Jesus called the Lord, his father. Besides, Jesus said that he and the Lord are one. The reaction was to stone Jesus for blasphemy.

33 The Jews answered Him, “We are not stoning You for a good work, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”

Even though they were near to stone him, Jesus asked them to pay attention to what he himself does:

37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” 39 Therefore they were seeking again to arrest Him, and He eluded their grasp.

The gospel of John is telling me, chapter after chapter, to believe in Jesus. Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God (ICTUS). He is the door: only through him we may get near the Lord.

John 9: Jesus, the blind man and the Sabbath

In John 9, Jesus is in Jerusalem near the Pool of Siloam on Sabbath. There was a blind man there. Jesus healed him. According to the Pharisees, Jesus broke the law of keeping the Sabbath. A big discussion began: The blind man claimed that the Lord (the Father) is with Jesus given the great sign he had done on him, while the Pharisees claimed that Jesus was a sinner because he hadn't healed in a kosher way. The blind man was mistreated and expelled (from where they were). 

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and went and found him. He asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
36 The man said, “Point him out to me, sir, so that I can believe in him.”
37 Jesus said, “You’re looking right at him. Don’t you recognize my voice?”
38 “Master, I believe,” the man said, and worshiped him.
39 Jesus then said, “I came into the world to bring everything into the clear light of day, making all the distinctions clear, so that those who have never seen will see, and those who have made a great pretense of seeing will be exposed as blind.”

The blind man was despised by that society because they saw him as someone cursed by the Lord for sins. By other hand, Jesus brought light to the man who lived in darkness. Do you believe in the Son of Man?

John 8: Jesus, the Logos and his pre existence

In the beginning of the gospel of John we read:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

In chapter 8, Jesus is in Jerusalem. We read:

54-56 Jesus said, “If I were striving to get all the attention, it wouldn’t amount to anything. But my Father, the same One you say is your Father, put me here at this time and place of splendor. You haven’t recognized him in this. But I have. If I, in false modesty, said I didn’t know what was going on, I would be as much of a liar as you are. But I do know, and I am doing what he says. Abraham—your ‘father’—with elated faith looked down the corridors of history and saw my day coming. He saw it and cheered.”
57 The Jews said, “You’re not even fifty years old — and Abraham saw you?”
58 “Believe me,” said Jesus, “I am who I am long before Abraham was anything.”
59 That did it—pushed them over the edge. They picked up rocks to throw at him. But Jesus slipped away, getting out of the Temple.

Jesus is not only the Word with God at creation but when he was here, among us, he knew about his pre existence and communion with the Father.

John 7: Jesus in Jerusalem at the Feast of Booths

 In all other gospels, the story happens in Galilee and then, Jesus goes to the Passover where he is crucified. In the gospel of John, Jesus goes many times from Galilee to Jerusalem. In John 7, Jesus is in Jerusalem at the Feast of Booths (which is not Passover, but another Jewish celebration). There, he discourses about being extremely important to know the Lord:

28-29 That provoked Jesus, who was teaching in the Temple, to cry out, “Yes, you think you know me and where I’m from, but that’s not where I’m from. I didn’t set myself up in business. My true origin is in the One who sent me, and you don’t know him at all. I come from him—that’s how I know him. He sent me here.”
37-39 On the final and climactic day of the Feast, Jesus took his stand. He cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says.” (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.)

According to the gospel of John, Jesus is the one who reveals the Lord, the Father. Without him, we can't know the Lord. The one who comes to Jesus desiring to live (water), will have an abundant life because the Spirit will be with him. The gospel of John talks about the Trinity, doesn't it?

John 6: the Bread

53-58 But Jesus didn’t give an inch. “Only insofar as you eat and drink flesh and blood, the flesh and blood of the Son of Man, do you have life within you. The one who brings a hearty appetite to this eating and drinking has eternal life and will be fit and ready for the Final Day. My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. By eating my flesh and drinking my blood you enter into me and I into you. In the same way that the fully alive Father sent me here and I live because of him, so the one who makes a meal of me lives because of me. This is the Bread from heaven. Your ancestors ate bread and later died. Whoever eats this Bread will live always.”

Jesus compares himself to the manah that came from heaven at Moses times. The Israelites were in the desert and they needed food. The Lord provided food for them, so that they could survive miraculously in the desert. Jesus says that he is the manah from heaven but a better manah because the one who eats Jesus will live forever. We have eternal life by believing in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The one who eats Jesus is the one who accepts his blood in favor for his sins. I am like a sheep, distracted by the worries of this world, however, when I look to the cross, I am grateful for what the Lord has done to me.

Jesus wants some kind of Peter attitude in us:

68-69 Peter replied, “Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. We’ve already committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God.”

John 5: resurrect to eternal life

In the chapter 5 we have the miraculous healing of a man in the pool Bethesda in Sabbath and a long discussion about this healing with the Jewish leaders due to breaking the Sabbath. In this discussion we read:

25 Truly, truly, I say to you, a time is coming and even now has arrived, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in Himself, so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not be amazed at this; for a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come out: those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the bad deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

In verse 29, we read that those who did the good deeds will resurrect to life. How do I do good deeds? By being born again, by the Spirit; by receiving the Son and the Father because the Son and the Father lives in complete harmony. We do good deeds when we belong to the Trinity.

John 4: Who has more to offer?

Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman. He asks her water, but Jesus says he has much more to offer her than the woman to him. 

9 The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, “How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” (Jews in those days wouldn’t be caught dead talking to Samaritans.)

10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water.”

11-12 The woman said, “Sir, you don’t even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this ‘living water’? Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us?”

13-14 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst — not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.”

15 The woman said, “Sir, give me this water so I won’t ever get thirsty, won’t ever have to come back to this well again!”

When I was young, I thought that I should give everything to the Lord and not expect anything from him, but now I understand that the Lord is the one who has much more to offer. In this dialogue, although Jesus had asked water to the woman, he claims that he has a much more valuable thing to give to her. The Samaritan woman had to go to the well again and again because its water satisfied her for a short period, but not for her life. Jesus said that his water was different: it would become a spring within her. Obviously Jesus was not talking about a literal water, but about a new life he could give her: a meaningful life dedicated to the Lord. Her life was a mess but not only that, others looked her down. In this new life, she would love others even when they looked her down. In her new life, she would come back to the well with joy and not feeling a burden for it. 
Who would not agree with the woman and say "Sir, give me this living water"?

John 3: Believe and Obey

we read:

 36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

The gospel of John has some flip-flops mixing verbs. Here, he is mixing "believe" and "obey". Many Christians would say:

 36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not BELIEVE the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

The verb in Greek used to "obey" is "apeitheó" that can be translated as "Disobey, be disobedient, refuse to believe".
The point is that the one who believes in the Son, submits to him because he is the king. This submission leads to obedience.
We are humans and sinners. I think that it is impossible to anyone claim that obeys fully the Lord; but to believe in him, leads to submission to him, and that leads to more and more obedience. We are disciples of Jesus, constantly learning from him.

John 2: Jesus revealed His glory

The word "glory" from the Greek "doxan" is very used in John. John presents Jesus doing his first sign when he changed water into wine. We read:

11 This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.  

This verse reminds John 1:14:

14 The Word became flesh and blood,
    and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
    the one-of-a-kind glory,
    like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
    true from start to finish.

Jesus revealed his glory to his disciples. They were amazed when they saw this first miracle, so amazed that they believed that Jesus was showing them the glory of the Father through him. Jesus was generous with the bride and groom and their guests. The Lord is above us all and he takes care of us, in much more details than we can imagine.

John 1: Emanuel

How can we know our Creator?

14 The Word became flesh and blood,
    and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
    the one-of-a-kind glory,
    like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
    true from start to finish.

Jesus is Emanuel - "God with us". 
John wants to share his testimony - he saw the glory of the Lord through Jesus. 
In John 20 we read:

30-31 Jesus provided far more God-revealing signs than are written down in this book. These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it.

This reminds me the question of the young rich: "how can I have eternal life?". The answer according to John is "believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God".

This also reminds me of ICTUS (the symbol of the first Christians, a fish): 
"Iēsous Christos, Theou Yios, Sōtēr," which means "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior".

Why is it so important to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God? Because, through Him we see the glory of the Father.

Luke 24: The Resurrection

Jesus, resurrected, says to two disciples on the road to Emmaus:

25-27 Then he said to them, “So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can’t you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don’t you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?” Then he started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to him.

It is somehow obscure that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into glory because the Old Testament doesn't explain it so clearly. The suffering serve in Isaiah 53 refers to the Messiah? It is very easy to say so after reading the New Testament, but it is difficult to understand reading only the Old Testament. 

Previously the two disciples had said:

19-21 They said, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God, a prophet, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. Then our high priests and leaders betrayed him, got him sentenced to death, and crucified him. And we had our hopes up that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel.

For them, the Messiah was the One who would deliver Israel (from Rome). Jesus was crucified but he didn't have done it, so these two disciples was near to conclude that Jesus was not the Messiah. There was the possibility that Jesus had risen from the death, but it was not so clear.

For we, Christians, Jesus delivered us from the death - the ultimately great enemy. 

Luke 20: Jesus is about to be killed

Jesus is in the temple of Jerusalem. His authority is questioned: how come he expels business men from the temple? He tell the parable of the Tenants.

13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’

14 “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

Jesus compares the Jewish leaders to the bad tenants. They were supposed to take care of Israel, not to use Israel in their own benefit.

17 Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone’[a]?

18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

19 The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.


The Jewish leaders rejected the stone, the cornerstone, Jesus which would cause severe consequences to them.
Thus, Jesus was very aware that he was about to be killed.

Luke 23: the temptation when the Messiah was crucified

Jesus made many miracles. When Jesus restored the vision of the blind (among many other miracles), he was restoring people. These miracles showed the love of the Lord for the poor and sick. Jesus also pointed to the prophet Isaiah and Daniel (among others) - he was the one who was fulfilling the prophecies. Despite his words and signs, Jesus was mocked as if he was a crazy man claiming to be the Messiah when in fact, Jesus was very clever not to draw much attention about it.
We read:

36-37 The soldiers also came up and poked fun at him, making a game of it. They toasted him with sour wine: “So you’re King of the Jews! Save yourself!”

38 Printed over him was a sign: this is the king of the Jews.

39 One of the criminals hanging alongside cursed him: “Some Messiah you are! Save yourself! Save us!”

There are many ways that we may understand salvation. Salvation from what? From the death? From the sins? From the Romans? When they said: "Save yourself" is something like "perform a miracle to save from your own death". When the criminals said "Save us", it is the same. Save us from our deaths.
It was a temptation: Jesus was going to be saved, but by trusting on the Father; not by himself.
It is the same temptation that we have: we are to be saved by Jesus, not by ourselves.

Luke 22: The Passover Meal

It is confusing when Jesus ate the Passover Meal: was it when the lambs were sacrificed (Nissan 14) or was it one day before (Nissan 13) ? Did Jesus die when the lambs were being sacrificed (Nissan 14) or did Jesus die one day after (Nissan 15) ?
Jesus is the lamb of the Lord who takes away the sins of the world, thus, it is a great sign of the Lord that Jesus had been crucified on the Passover.
The Passover Meal is also very important.
Jesus knew on that day that He was to be crucified, so we read:

17-18 Taking the cup, he blessed it, then said, “Take this and pass it among you. As for me, I’ll not drink wine again until the kingdom of God arrives.”
19 Taking bread, he blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, given for you. Eat it in my memory.”
20 He did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant written in my blood, blood poured out for you.

How can we deny that Jesus knew about his crucifixion when every Christian church celebrates the Holy Communion?
Christianity is very different from all others religion. We drink the blood of Jesus that was poured out for us. This is the new covenant.

Luke 21: Jerusalem was destroyed, but Jewish Christians were saved

We read:

5-6 One day people were standing around talking about the Temple, remarking how beautiful it was, the splendor of its stonework and memorial gifts. Jesus said, “All this you’re admiring so much—the time is coming when every stone in that building will end up in a heap of rubble.”

20-24 “When you see soldiers camped all around Jerusalem, then you’ll know that she is about to be devastated. If you’re living in Judea at the time, run for the hills. If you’re in the city, get out quickly. If you’re out in the fields, don’t go home to get your coat. This is the Day of Reckoning—everything written about it will come to a head. Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard. Incredible misery! Torrential rage! People dropping like flies; people dragged off to prisons; Jerusalem under the boot of barbarians until the nations finish what was given them to do.

Using Perplexity:

Question: in 70 AD , the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. Were Christians saved by paying attention to the words of Jesus?
Answer:

## Were Christians Saved by Paying Attention to the Words of Jesus During the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD?

Historical evidence strongly suggests that many Christians in Jerusalem survived the Roman destruction in 70 AD by heeding Jesus’ warnings to flee the city when they saw danger approaching.

**Jesus’ Prophecy and Instructions**
- The Gospels record that Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, warning his followers: "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies... then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains" (Luke 21:20-21, see also Matthew 24:15-20)[3][4].
- Jesus specifically instructed not to delay or return for possessions, emphasizing urgency in escape[3].

**Historical Accounts of Christian Flight**
- Early Christian historians, notably Eusebius of Caesarea (4th century), wrote that the Christian community in Jerusalem received a divine warning—interpreted as fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy—and fled to the city of Pella, located across the Jordan River, before the Roman siege began[2][4].
- Epiphanius, another early church writer, also confirmed that Christians left Jerusalem for Pella, and archaeological finds in Pella may support the presence of early Christians there[4].
- The Christians’ departure reportedly occurred before the Romans encircled Jerusalem, sparing them from the siege’s horrors, which included mass death, enslavement, and destruction[1][2].

**Why Pella Was Chosen**
- Pella was outside the main conflict zone, across the Jordan, and had a Hellenistic culture less involved in the Jewish revolt, making it a safer refuge for Christians who were not active participants in the rebellion[2].

**Conclusion**
- According to both biblical records and early church historians, Christians in Jerusalem survived the 70 AD destruction largely because they paid attention to Jesus’ warnings and fled the city when the signs he described appeared[2][3][4].
- This event is often cited as a fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy and as a pivotal moment in the early separation between Christianity and Judaism[1][5].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Jerusalem_(70_CE)
[2] https://biblereflection.org/pella/
[3] https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/matthew-24/
[4] https://refugeinjordan.com/did-first-century-christians-flee-to-pella-pt-1/
[5] https://christianleaders.org/mod/page/view.php?id=33121
[6] https://answeringisraelonly.wordpress.com/2019/01/03/the-saints-went-back-to-jerusalem-from-pella-after-ad-70/
[7] https://www.biblestudytools.com/matthew/24-16.html
[8] https://www.gracegreeley.org/teaching/the-destruction-of-jerusalem-part-3/
[9] https://bredenhof.ca/2024/03/05/decisive-moments-the-fall-of-jerusalem/
[10] https://www.thetorah.com/article/did-early-christians-mourn-the-destruction-of-the-temple
[11] https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/not-one-stone-left-upon-another
[12] https://biblehub.com/matthew/24-16.htm
[13] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+24&version=NIV
[14] https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Jerusalem-70
[15] https://christiancourier.com/articles/the-siege-of-jerusalem
[16] https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/ice_thomas/Mat24-25/Mat24-25_Part14.cfm
[17] https://www.bibleref.com/Matthew/24/Matthew-24-16.html
[18] https://www.koinesune.com/stories/church-history-the-destruction-of-jerusalem

Luke 19: Parable of the Ten Minas

We read (NASB):
11 Now while they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. 12 So He said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then to return.

Jesus is near Jerusalem. Many people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately, and many thought that Jesus would be the king (the son of David) in this kingdom. The kingdom of heaven didn´t appear in very visible way when Jesus was living among us. In this context, Jesus tells the "Parable of the Ten Minas" where a nobleman (Jesus?) went to a distant country (heaven?) to receive a kingdom of himself, and then return (to earth?).

13 And he called ten of his own slaves and gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business with this money until I come back.’

Who were his slaves? Very likely it refers to his disciples.

14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’

Was Jesus talking about the Pharisees and Sadducees that didn't want Jesus to reign over them?

The point on this parable is that the nobleman will be far from his country like Jesus between his ascension to heaven and his return. In the meantime, what will his disciples do? Will they keep the words of Jesus? Will they work for Jesus even when he is distant? or will they forget about him and live their lives in their own way?

We are waiting for Jesus. May we live for him.

Luke 18: The Pharisee, the Tax Collector and the Rich Young Ruler

In Luke 14:11 we read:
11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

In Luke 18, the pharisee and the tax collector are praying in a synagogue. The Lord listens to the tax collector who is praying for mercy, but He doesn't listen to the Pharisee who exalts himself.

In a similar way, the rich young ruler exalts himself saying that he obeys the commandments, however Jesus showed that he couldn´t let his wealth go and in a way, Jesus humbled him.

In fact, every man must approach the Lord with great care because no one is good before the Lord. Only the Lord is good.

Luke 17: when does the kingdom of God come?

That was the question of the Pharisees to Jesus:

20 Now He was questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, and He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs that can be observed; 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

Did the kingdom of God? I believe so. The kingdom of God is here in our midst. However, there many things that show us how the will of the Lord isn't done nowadays. The Lord Jesus will return. He says it in private to his disciples:

22 And He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look there,’ or, ‘Look here!’ Do not leave, and do not run after them. 24 For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. 25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

Thus the kingdom of the Lord is in our midst, in the midst of the believers, but Jesus will come back and settle the kingdom in a very visible way. May the believers shine with Jesus on the glorious day.

Luke 16: the Lord and the money

We read about the parable of the Crooked Manager. It finishes on verse 9. Verse 10 seems disconnected:

9 And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it is all gone, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.
10 “The one who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much; and the one who is unrighteous in a very little thing is also unrighteous in much.

I am trying to connect both verses.
The parable of the Crooked Manager has always made me think: how can a crooked manager be praised by his employer when he knew his bad character? I heard that he was betting on the name of his employer. He made promises that his employer should keep, otherwise, his employer would be badly seen. In the same way, we Christians must bet on the character of the Lord. I am not so sure about this explanation, but verse 9 must be the key to understand the parable.
In general, a rich man uses his wealth to create a castle to himself where he feels protected but somehow alone. A rich man socializes with other rich guys because he wants to be part of the rich club: where one may help another. A poor man can't go on this club because he will only be benefited and can't contribute with anything. In verse 9, Jesus says to use the wealth to make friends. Very likely Jesus would use a wealth like mine in a different way: he would value much more people than some kind of protection that comes from money. Jesus told to give to people that can't pay back. In doing so, we would seem the Lord and not the gentiles.

How does this connect to verse 10? The one who uses the money to create bridges and not castles are the one who is faithful. He uses the money the Lord has provided in a faithful way.
I am retired now.
It is time to be more kind, generous with people.

Luke 15: Lost and found

We see three parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. In all three there are the joy of recovering the lost. Theses parables were addressed to the Pharisees because they saw how sinners and tax collectors came to listen to Jesus. Thus, Jesus responded to them that it was great when the lost was found. In other words, it was great when tax collectors and sinners had a change of life for listening to Jesus.
Jesus is good.
He talks to sinners, so there is no barrier. He talks to me.
May I listen to him, repent and be saved.

Luke 14: a follower of Jesus may not be his disciple.

We read:

25-27 One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple.

There was a large group of people following Jesus. Jesus could have said: "Blessed are you who follow me because the kingdom of heaven is yours.". But he told another thing: "there is a great price to be my disciple and if you don't pay this price you are not my disciple". What is price? To see Jesus as much more important than spouse, children, etc. It is necessary to see Jesus as much more important than our own comfort.

The difference between a follower and a disciple is that the disciple lives for Jesus - Jesus is his top priority.
I can't say that I have left everything to follow Jesus as Peter said. May the Lord make Jesus my top priority because I am like a foolish sheep that get lost from time to time.

Luke 13: Showing how the Lord is important

Jesus healed a woman in Sabbath.

14 The meeting-place president, furious because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the congregation, “Six days have been defined as work days. Come on one of the six if you want to be healed, but not on the seventh, the Sabbath.”

For the Synagogue leader, Jesus didn't show respect for the Lord because, in his tradition, Sabbath is not a day for healing.

Jesus answered him:

15-16 But Jesus shot back, “You frauds! Each Sabbath every one of you regularly unties your cow or donkey from its stall, leads it out for water, and thinks nothing of it. So why isn’t it all right for me to untie this daughter of Abraham and lead her from the stall where Satan has had her tied these eighteen years?”

For the synagogue leader, God is honored by following rules. The rules must not be broken. The more detailed the rule the better, because detailed rules are easier to check as "DONE".
For Jesus, God is honored by pleasing him; so it is necessary to know the Lord as a person. The Lord is the Father. The Father loves his children. He wants that one child loves and supports another one.

Jesus shot to everyone listen: people who think as the synagogue leader are frauds. They seem to honor the Lord, but in fact, don't.
May I not be a fraud. Certainly that we have a great trend to be like the synagogue leader, specially on the church.
We show that the Lord is important, not by following little rules (very specific and easy to be checked), but by knowing the Lord as the Father who cares about his children.

Luke 12: worries about aging

I am retired and getting older. There are many problems that comes with old age: sarcopenia (loss of muscles), difficulty in absorbing nutrients, lack of memory, etc. Everyday I go to the gym in order to age with quality of life. I read:

22-24 He continued this subject with his disciples. “Don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or if the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the ravens, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, carefree in the care of God. And you count far more.

There is more than gym and healthy food. Look to the old ravens. The Lord takes care of them too. In a way, too much worry about aging is futile. Certainly I am destined to get weaker and die some day, but I must remember that the Lord is with me in this process. He is taking care of me even when my body is aging. He is the Father that loves me and is very generous with me.

Luke 11: How to explain the power of Jesus?

14-16 Jesus delivered a man from a demon that had kept him speechless. The demon gone, the man started talking a blue streak, taking the crowd by complete surprise. But some from the crowd were cynical. “Black magic,” they said. “Some devil trick he’s pulled from his sleeve.” Others were skeptical, waiting around for him to prove himself with a spectacular miracle.

People pro and against Jesus had no doubt: Jesus had power. Some said that his power came from the Satan. Jesus told that this explanation was not only irrational but also made the person against Jesus:

23 “This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you’re not on my side, you’re the enemy; if you’re not helping, you’re making things worse.

Jesus divides. Some are pro Jesus and some against Jesus. According to Jesus, to be against him is to be against the Lord.

Luke 10: who the Father is

In Luke 9, Jesus and his disciples were heading to Jerusalem.

Luke 10 begins with the mission of the 70 (or 72). The disciples came back from the mission. They were glad because they had authority over demons.

 21 At that, Jesus rejoiced, exuberant in the Holy Spirit. “I thank you, Father, Master of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the know-it-alls and showed them to these innocent newcomers. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.

22 “I’ve been given it all by my Father! Only the Father knows who the Son is and only the Son knows who the Father is. The Son can introduce the Father to anyone he wants to.”

The gospel is about Jesus - the one who reveals the Father (to his disciples).
Jesus claims that he and only he can reveal the Father. Mohamed and Buddha can't reveal the Father.
Jesus reveal a Father that loves and seeks the sinner.

Luke 9: heading to Jerusalem and to the cross

At the beginning of Luke 9 Jesus is in Galilee. He send his disciples on a mission:

1 Jesus now called the Twelve and gave them authority and power to deal with all the demons and cure diseases. He commissioned them to preach the news of God’s kingdom and heal the sick.

After, he multiplied bread and fish.
He was very famous. He asked the disciples what the crowd were saying about him, and then, he asked what the disciples thought of him. It was not too clear at that time, but Peter got that Jesus was the Messiah, the son of God.

Nowadays, we understand that the good news is all about Jesus: he is the Messiah that restore each one who trusts in him. However this message was not well developed at that time, mainly, because it was too difficult to understand the purpose of the Messiah in defeating his enemies. Who are the enemies? Everyone would say that they were the enemies of Israel (ex: the Romans), but Jesus was pointing to a greater enemy - the sin that deformed us, human beings.

We read:

22 He went on, “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the religious leaders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and on the third day be raised up alive.”

23-27 Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat—I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? If any of you is embarrassed with me and the way I’m leading you, know that the Son of Man will be far more embarrassed with you when he arrives in all his splendor in company with the Father and the holy angels. This isn’t, you realize, pie in the sky by and by. Some who have taken their stand right here are going to see it happen, see with their own eyes the kingdom of God.”

Then Jesus headed to Jerusalem:

51 When it came close to the time for his Ascension, he gathered up his courage and steeled himself for the journey to Jerusalem.

At that time it was not clear why Jesus had to be killed in Jerusalem. Nowadays we understand that Jesus had to be killed to restore each one of us from the deformation caused by our own sins. The death and resurrection of Jesus is very important to each Christian. Jesus called to suffer with him, to be crucified with him. That is how we get rid of our sins.

Luke 8: gospel and restoration

Death, demon possession, sickness and nature against mankind are  consequences of sin. Jesus is the Messiah that brought restoration. In Luke 8, he resurrected the daughter of Jairus, he exorcised many demons from a man, he cured a sick woman for many years with bleeding and he stills the sea. All these events points to a world where the Lord reigns, where his will is done.


We read:

49 While he was still talking, someone from the leader’s house came up and told him, “Your daughter died. No need now to bother the Teacher.”
50-51 Jesus overheard and said, “Don’t be upset. Just trust me and everything will be all right.” Going into the house, he wouldn’t let anyone enter with him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s parents.

Imagine to listen someone saying that your only daughter has died. I would loose ground. Jairus was with Jesus when he heard it. He was betting on Jesus but, even though, it didn't seem enough to prevent his daughter's death. Despite her death, Jesus asked Jairus to trust on him.
The gospel is all about the Messiah that came to restore our lives, our world. As we come closer to him, the more we trust on him and the more we feel he is taking care of us - as saying "everything will be all right".

Luke 7: I forgive your sins.

We read:

41-42 “Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?”
43-47 Simon answered, “I suppose the one who was forgiven the most.”
“That’s right,” said Jesus. Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, “Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn’t quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. Impressive, isn’t it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal.”
48 Then he spoke to her: “I forgive your sins.”
49 That set the dinner guests talking behind his back: “Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!”
50 He ignored them and said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Jesus says to a woman: "I forgive your sins". Who has authority to forgive sins? Sins are against the Lord, so only the Lord has authority to forgive sins.
A Christian trusts that Jesus has authority to forgive sins. He has faith in Jesus. That's why it is great blessing to listen "I forgive your sins" from Jesus.

Luke 6: blessings and curses

In Luke 6 we have blessings and curses from Jesus as in Matthew 5. Jesus is the king in the kingdom of God that is very different from a normal kingdom. In this world we feel blessed when we have money, health, etc. Jesus said that those who are in good position today, in this world, are cursed while those who are in a bad position now, in this world, will be blessed.
Why?
We were created to depend on the Lord, to search him, to praise him. When we are glad with ourselves, our conquests, we are far from the Lord; but when we are sad with ourselves, our situation, we are prone to search the Lord, to depend on him.

We read:

24 But it’s trouble ahead if you think you have it made.
What you have is all you’ll ever get.
25 And it’s trouble ahead if you’re satisfied with yourself.
Your self will not satisfy you for long.
And it’s trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun and games.
There’s suffering to be met, and you’re going to meet it.
26 “There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.

In a way, there is no Christian fit, comfortable in this world.

Luke 5: Master, if you say so, I’ll do it

Why Jesus was perfect? Because he was obedient to the Father, he loved the Father. A Christian is one who is learning to become like Jesus. Sometimes, although we understand what the Lord wants, we don't understand why he wants so. We read:

4 When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, “Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch.”
5-7 Simon said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.” It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch.
8-10 Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. “Master, leave. I’m a sinner and can’t handle this holiness. Leave me to myself.” When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. It was the same with James and John, Zebedee’s sons, coworkers with Simon.

Jesus told Peter to fish with his nets, but it doesn't make any sense to Peter. Even though, Simon obeyed because he respected or trusted Jesus.
Faith is very similar to that. Even though we can't understand why certain events happen, we trust that the Lord is in control. In doing so, may I obey the Lord.

Luke 4: The temptation of Jesus.

 Luke 4: The temptation of Jesus.

In Greek, πειράζω is translated to temptation and test. Jesus was led by the Spirit to be tested by the devil as Adam and Eve was tested in the Garden.
The test is about: "Do you trust more in your thoughts or in the word of the Lord"? , "what is more important? Your will or the will of the Lord"?
Jesus is tested after his baptism.
Perhaps the baptism was a declaration: "I am subjected to the will of the Lord". The test was to demonstrate if this declaration was real.
We read:

9-11 For the third test the Devil took him to Jerusalem and put him on top of the Temple. He said, “If you are God’s Son, jump. It’s written, isn’t it, that ‘he has placed you in the care of angels to protect you; they will catch you; you won’t so much as stub your toe on a stone’?”
12 “Yes,” said Jesus, “and it’s also written, ‘Don’t you dare tempt the Lord your God.’”
13 That completed the testing. The Devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity.

The Devil used the book of Psalms to test Jesus. He begins: "If you are God’s Son,...". No one in Tanak was called "the son of God" besides the people of Israel. If Jesus is God's son, he is righteous and Psalm 91 applies to him. Is it true? The Devil reads Psalms as a lawyer reads the law. The Devil tries to make Jesus read Psalm 91 not as blessing to the righteous but a test to the Lord.
The Devil is always seeking to transform the beautiful word of the Lord into something ugly.
The temptation is about: "how much do I trust that the Lord is good?".

Luke 3: baptism of tax collectors, pharisees and Jesus

The baptism of John was about purification to be prepared to the coming kingdom of the Lord. John saw purification and repentance going together. We read:

12 Tax men also came to be baptized and said, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13 He told them, “No more extortion—collect only what is required by law.”

The tax collectors were despised by the Jewish community because they were viewed as traitors: Jews who rob their own people in favor of the gentile Romans. It is very interesting that John baptized tax collectors. He saw that even though they were sinners, there was hope and purification for them.

In Matthew3 we read:
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance; 9 and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham. 10 And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.

In Luke 3 we read:
7 So he was saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore produce fruits that are consistent with repentance, and do not start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children for Abraham. 9 But indeed the axe is already being laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

In Matthew, John was angry with the Pharisees and Sadducess, but in Luke 3, John was angry with the crowds. Anyway, John was angry with people who didn't change behavior, didn't repent in fact.

It is very interesting that Jesus went to be baptized, but why? We read:

13 Then Jesus *arrived from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have the need to be baptized by You, and yet You are coming to me?” 15 But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he *allowed Him. 16 After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and settling on Him, 17 and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. I think that it means that Jesus had to fulfill everything necessary (in the law) to be right before the Lord, baptism included. Why? We understand that in the cross, Jesus took our sins in our place. We, by other hand, received the purity of Jesus.

 

Luke 2: baby Jesus in Jerusalem with Simeon

Baby Jesus is taken to Jerusalem after the circumcision and purification of Mary. There they met Simeon.


26-32 The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died. Led by the Spirit, he entered the Temple. As the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to carry out the rituals of the Law, Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God:
God, you can now release your servant;
    release me in peace as you promised.
With my own eyes I’ve seen your salvation;
    it’s now out in the open for everyone to see:
A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations,
    and of glory for your people Israel.
33-35 Jesus’ father and mother were speechless with surprise at these words. Simeon went on to bless them, and said to Mary his mother,
This child marks both the failure and
    the recovery of many in Israel,
A figure misunderstood and contradicted—
    the pain of a sword-thrust through you —
But the rejection will force honesty,
    as God reveals who they really are.

Simeon saw Jesus, the salvation from the Lord and  one that divides: he marks the failure and recovery of many in Israel. He said to Mary that Jesus would be like a sword-thrust through her. We (commentators) understand that it was a reference to the suffering of Mary when seeing her loved son on the cross. Although the Lord had prepared everything, we understand that the Lord, the Father, suffered when Jesus was on the cross.

Luke 1: knowledge of salvation

We read about the birth of John Baptist. Zachariah prays to the Lord when the boy was being circumcised:
(NASB)

76 And you, child, also will be called the prophet of the Most High;
For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways;
77 To give His people the knowledge of salvation
By the forgiveness of their sins,
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
79 To shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

John is going to prepare the way of the Lord.
Looking to the prophets of Old Testament, it is very clear that the Lord is coming to judge, to punish the wicked. In a way, it seems that the righteous will survive a great calamity.
Zachariah prays that his boy will help the people of the Lord to get the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins; so John is going to show light to those sit in darkness; aligning to what we read about Jesus.

Mark 16: What happened to the body of Jesus?

The gospel of Mark doesn't intend to explain all mysteries. For instance: Jesus healed a person but asked him not to tell anyone. Why? Mystery.
Some women went to the tomb to prepare the body of Jesus after crucifixion. As soon they entered the tomb (that was strangely opened), they saw a man (an angel?) sitting :

6-7 He said, “Don’t be afraid. I know you’re looking for Jesus the Nazarene, the One they nailed on the cross. He’s been raised up; he’s here no longer. You can see for yourselves that the place is empty. Now—on your way. Tell his disciples and Peter that he is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You’ll see him there, exactly as he said.”

This is basically how Mark ends. It let many questions opened:
. Did the disciples find Jesus in Galilee?
. If so, what happened?
. Why Mark finished his gospel in a so strange way? Who were his readers? The church? The church, mainly in the beginning of Christianity, had many eye witness of Jesus, but even so...
Anyway, what happened to the body of Jesus? Some men (Lee Strobel, Josh McDowel) converted to Christianity searching for this answer.

Mark 15: Jesus is crucified as king of the Jews

Jesus in the cross was mocked:

MSG: 31-32 The high priests, along with the religion scholars, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: “He saved others—but he can’t save himself! Messiah, is he? King of Israel? Then let him climb down from that cross. We’ll all become believers then!” Even the men crucified alongside him joined in the mockery.

NASB: 31 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself! 32 Let this Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.

When reading the gospels, mainly Mark, Jesus told many times not to talk about his miracles. Did Jesus want people to believe that he was the Messiah? If so, why to hide his miracles? Some say that Jesus didn't want to be known as the Messiah because the people would want to set him as some kind of general against the Romans. Anyway, in his crucifixion, the high priests and others were mocking Jesus as if Jesus wanted them to believe in him. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus openly say that he was the Messiah next to his death. In a way, Jesus was killed because he revealed himself as the Messiah (when the high priest asked to Jesus if he was the Messiah). There were many others who claimed to be the Messiah but is it enough to trouble the high priest? Was the high priest asking himself if Jesus was the Messiah? Maybe.  The statement: "Let this Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!" suggests a thought coming from the high priest because it was very important that the high priest would welcome the Messiah.

Mark 14: “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”

In Mark 14, Jesus is betrayed and captured. He is taken to be judged by the Jewish leaders. We read:

60 And then the high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, “Do You not offer any answer for what these men are testifying against You?”
61 But He kept silent and did not offer any answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and *said to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Jesus answered that He is the Messiah and the Son of God to the high priest. Besides, he also said that he is the one pointed by Daniel 7. He is the Son of Man.

In Daniel 7:

13
“I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a son of man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
14
And to Him was given dominion,
Honor, and a kingdom,
So that all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.

The Son of Man is the One who will receive dominion, honor and a kingdom that will reign over all other nations.
Jesus is in front of the high priest next to his crucifixion.
The high priest understand that Jesus claims to the Son of God. If so, then Jesus is saying that the high priest will be judged by his sin. For the high priest, Jesus is blaspheming because he is against a great representative of the Lord on earth - the high priest.

Even next to his death, Jesus knew and made it clear: he is the Messiah, the son of God.

Mark 13: Jesus and the temple of Jerusalem

The temple of Jerusalem was very different from any church nowadays. The temple gathered the Jews from many parts of the world to celebrate three annual feasts, mainly the Passover. There is no church that gather all Christians to celebrate some event. Besides, the temple was the place where the Lord was present, where He lived, so it was some kind of heaven in earth.
Jesus revealed - the temple was to be destroyed:

2 Jesus said, “You’re impressed by this grandiose architecture? There’s not a stone in the whole works that is not going to end up in a heap of rubble.”

14-18 “But be ready to run for it when you see the monster of desecration set up where it should never be. You who can read, make sure you understand what I’m talking about. If you’re living in Judea at the time, run for the hills; if you’re working in the yard, don’t go back to the house to get anything; if you’re out in the field, don’t go back to get your coat. Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard. Hope and pray this won’t happen in the middle of winter.

19-20 “These are going to be hard days—nothing like it from the time God made the world right up to the present. And there’ll be nothing like it again. If he let the days of trouble run their course, nobody would make it. But because of God’s chosen people, those he personally chose, he has already intervened.

In fact, the early Christians kept these words. In 70 AD , Jerusalem was destroyed but a lot of Christians were saved because they understood that general Titus was the monster of desecration so they fled to the mountains.
Due to the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, the sacrifice of animals stopped.
Jesus is the lamb of the Lord that takes away the sin of the word. The Lord provided a way to stop the sacrifice of animals that was pointing to Jesus.

In a way, Jesus was the temple - He was the place on earth where heaven and earth met.

Mark 12: the Messiah in the temple

Jesus came from Galilee to the temple. It was expected that the Messiah would be extremely honored in the temple by the high priest, levites, etc. Jesus was not. Jesus was tested. They expected that he would fall in some trap so that the people or the Romans would become against him. Despite what the Jewish leaders thought of him, Jesus himself was sure that he was the Messiah. He recited Psalm 110 to the Jewish leaders:

Psalm 110:1 The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at My right hand
Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

and then, he asked the Jewish leaders:

37 David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Him.

The Messiah is Adonai. YHWH makes the Messiah win over his enemies. Even David recognized that the Messiah is Adonai, so how come the Messiah is his son? Jesus knew he is the Messiah and that he would rule over his enemies. The ultimate enemy is the death, the chaos that came from the sin, despite the opposition of the Jewish leaders.
Jesus is the one who makes us whole before the Lord.
Jesus won the death and every Christian believes that in Jesus he won the death too.

Mark 11: Authority

Jesus arrives in Jerusalem. He was already very famous. He is welcomed as the Messiah, the son of David by the people of Jerusalem. He goes to the temple and he rebukes the commerce over there kicking over the tables of the bankers (where money was exchanged). We read:

27-28 Then when they were back in Jerusalem once again, as they were walking through the Temple, the high priests, religion scholars, and leaders came up and demanded, “Show us your credentials. Who authorized you to speak and act like this?”

The high priests were in charge of the Temple. For them, Jesus was being very abusive. The high priests saw themselves as representatives of God on earth. For Jesus they were bad stewards, for them Jesus was spoiling their honor and authority.
Jesus preached and made many signs. Was it so difficult to understand that his authority came from the Lord? The religious leaders were taking advantage of their position. To recognize Jesus as the Messiah meant to accept Jesus as the leader and abandon their own interests.
Today is not so different. It is difficult to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, as the one who reigns because it also means to be submissive to Jesus.

Mark 10: the child, the rich and the kingdom

Jesus was preaching about the coming of the kingdom of the skies: a new era is coming. Is this new era to everybody?

13-16 The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.

Jesus welcome the children. To enter in God's kingdom it is necessary to accept it in the simplicity of a child. We adults are always negotiating. We give to take, or we take before giving. A child is more simple - he/she just accepts with no second intentions.
We contrast it with the young rich man:

17 As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?”

In other words, how do I enter in the new era, in the kingdom?


18-19 Jesus said, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. You know the commandments: Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, honor your father and mother.”
20 He said, “Teacher, I have—from my youth—kept them all!”
21 Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him! He said, “There’s one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me.”
22 The man’s face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.
23-25 Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who ‘have it all’ to enter God’s kingdom?” The disciples couldn’t believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: “You can’t imagine how difficult. I’d say it’s easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for the rich to get into God’s kingdom.”
26 That got their attention. “Then who has any chance at all?” they asked.
27 Jesus was blunt: “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it.”

Through Paul's letters we understand that the key to enter in God's kingdom is Jesus. I enter in God's kingdom through Jesus work, not mine. Neither me, nor the young rich man can do everything to enter in kingdom. The rich man previously thought that he was OK to enter in the new era, but then, Jesus made clear that he loved his treasures more than the kingdom, he couldn't let his treasures go away.
Children are more simple: they have no treasures, nothing to give and get in return.  

Mark 9: Jesus is revealed to three disciples.

We read:

2-4 ... Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. His clothes shimmered, glistening white, whiter than any bleach could make them. Elijah, along with Moses, came into view, in deep conversation with Jesus.

When the disciples saw Jesus transfigured, every problem on earth should become very small before Jesus' glory.

7 Just then a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and from deep in the cloud, a voice: “This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to him.”

The Father talked to the disciples - "listen to Jesus, he is my son, I am glad with him".
In a way, the Father talks to me like that. The Father cares about me. He wants me to listen to Jesus because he wants to extend his love to me through Jesus.
 

Mark 8: the Messiah and the cross

Jesus had power and will to restore people. No wonder the crowd was following him for three consecutive days and hungry. Jesus wanted to feed them because he was afraid they would faint along the way. He multiplied the bread to feed the crowd by the second time. How can the Messiah with such power headed to the cross?
We read:

29 He then asked, “And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?”
Peter gave the answer: “You are the Christ, the Messiah.”

It is easy to understand that the one who restored people, feed them, preached to them, loved them was the Messiah, but we read:

30-32 Jesus warned them to keep it quiet, not to breathe a word of it to anyone. He then began explaining things to them: “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive.” He said this simply and clearly so they couldn’t miss it.

Jesus said that he would be killed. Peter couldn't believe on it! Would the powerful and merciful Messiah be killed? Peter seemed not to believe that would rise up after three days.
Jesus told his disciples:

34 And He summoned the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 For what could a person give in exchange for his soul?

I, as a Christian, am aware that I must deny myself take up my cross and follow Jesus. I am not important, Jesus is important. If he that is the son of God, didn't run away from the cross should I?

Mark 7: Jesus helps a non Jewish woman

We read:

24-26 From there Jesus set out for the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house there where he didn’t think he would be found, but he couldn’t escape notice. He was barely inside when a woman who had a disturbed daughter heard where he was. She came and knelt at his feet, begging for help. The woman was Greek, Syro-Phoenician by birth. She asked him to cure her daughter.
27 He said, “Stand in line and take your turn. The children get fed first. If there’s any left over, the dogs get it.”
28 She said, “Of course, Master. But don’t dogs under the table get scraps dropped by the children?”
29-30 Jesus was impressed. “You’re right! On your way! Your daughter is no longer disturbed. The demonic affliction is gone.” She went home and found her daughter relaxed on the bed, the torment gone for good.

When a non Jewish woman  asked for help, Jesus answered: no. Jesus saw her as a dog (to my knowledge, all gentiles were seen as dogs). Jesus came to the Jews, so he was to bless the Jews first. If I were that woman, I would be very upset with Jesus - perhaps offended - and left the place, but not her. She saw that even the dogs don't have to wait for the left over because children drop some scraps from the table. She really believed that Jesus could help her daughter, and she bet that Jesus is good. The Messiah of the Jews was glad by her insistence. Jesus was good to her daughter.

Mark 6: Does the Lord protect the rigteous?

John was the messenger of the Lord. He was preaching about the coming of the kingdom of the Lord. People should repent from their sins in order to enter the kingdom. In particular, king Herodes and his wife Herodias should repent because Herodias was in fact wife of Herodes' brother. Herodias was very upset with John, so upset that she found a way to get John killed.
Let us imagine what Jesus thought when he heard about John's death. Certainly he became very sad.
Would he have asked:
- Does the Lord protect the righteous?
Much more likely, he understood more clearly that he was in the way to the cross; and that the cross was not the last thing.
In fact, the Lord protects the righteous, even though, sometimes the evil seems to be winning.
There is the resurrection.

Mark 5: faith and heal

A woman sick for 12 years touches Jesus in the middle of a crowd touching him. Jesus noticed that he had delivered power to heal. we read:

(NASB) 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be cured of your disease.”

Jairus received a bad news: her daughter had already died. Jesus said to him:

(NASB) 36 But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, *said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid, only believe.”

Some people read and teach that a miracle is made if you only believe. Although it is false, it is very seductive to believe on some kind of Disney slogan: "believe and your dreams will come true".

Eugene Peterson reread theses verses as:

(MSG) 34 Jesus said to her, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague.”

(MSG) 36 Jesus overheard what they were talking about and said to the leader, “Don’t listen to them; just trust me.”

Faith is very important in Christianity, but what is faith? "Only believe"? Faith is to trust in the Lord. So, in verse 34, the sick woman dared to trust that Jesus could made her whole again, to heal her. Isn't it what we Christians believe? We dare to believe that Jesus can me us whole before our Lord. In verse 36, Jesus calls Jairus to trust on him: he cares about the death of her daughter and he will deal with it.

Mark 4: Inside/outside the God's kingdom.

Jesus saw his disciples as inside the kingdom while others as outside the kingdom.
Jesus talks about the kingdom of God in parables that were interesting stories but with no clear meaning to those outside the kingdom. To the insiders, Jesus explained the parables.

According to NASB:

10 As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve disciples, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but for those who are outside, everything comes in parables, 12 so that while seeing they may see, and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear, and not understand, otherwise they might return and it would be forgiven them.”

How to enter in the kingdom? What does it mean to belong to the Lord of universe? How to explain that Jesus is more important than mother and father? How to explain to some outside the kingdom that it is worth to suffer for the truth? How to explain that it not silly to forgive our debtors?

It is very difficult to explain what is to belong to Jesus to the outsiders, yet, Jesus found a way to teach to the outsiders.

Mark 3: what kind of God do we preach?

 Matthew 3: hard-nosed religion

We read (MSG):

1-3 Then he went back in the meeting place where he found a man with a crippled hand. The Pharisees had their eyes on Jesus to see if he would heal him, hoping to catch him in a Sabbath violation. He said to the man with the crippled hand, “Stand here where we can see you.”

4 Then he spoke to the people: “What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?” No one said a word.

5-6 He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. He said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held it out—it was as good as new! The Pharisees got out as fast as they could, sputtering about how they would join forces with Herod’s followers and ruin him.

Jesus went to the synagogue where there was a crippled man. People knew that Jesus had the power to cure him due to former miracles, but the Pharisees considered that to cure on Sabbath is to violate the rule to keep the Sabbath. Would Jesus refrain to cure him in order to please the Pharisees?
Jesus became furious because they didn't have compassion of the crippled man.
Jesus expected that the people answered his questions saying that it is good to help people even on Sabbath.
I am not so sure that I am much better the Pharisees. I have a lot of excuses to not help anyone, but I think that the worst excuses are religious excuses because they change the character of the Lord. They preach a hard/evil God when in fact he is good.  

Mark 2: can we recognize YHWH in earth?

Some people say that Jesus never saw himself as YHWH. Really?

1-5 After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home. A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. When they weren’t able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher. Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, “Son, I forgive your sins.”
6-7 Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves, “He can’t talk that way! That’s blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins.”

The religion scholars were right. Only God can forgive the (generic) sins of a person. Jesus made it very clear: He has authority to forgive sins. This is a very strong statement, one that we believe or we reject, there's no middle ground. I believe he has authority to forgive my sins too.

In the same chapter, the disciples of Jesus were accused of breaking the Sabbath. Jesus answered:

27 Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath.”

Jesus didn't agree that the Pharisees had authority to say what is to break the Sabbath or not. He said that He is the Kurios, the Adonai even of the Sabbath. Jesus has the authority over the Sabbath, over the Jewish tradition of what it means to keep the Sabbath. Isn't it a strong statement? How could a Pharisee agree with Jesus? Wasn't it necessary to believe that YHWH came to earth?

Mark 1: the gospel of Jesus Christ

The gospel, the good news, according to Mark must havecome from what Peter told to Mark.
It is very interesting that this good news is to be listened, and to be believed. The believer is connected to Jesus because he understand that Jesus is his king. The believer belongs to the church: the brothers and sisters of Jesus.
The gospel is related to the Old Testament because it is the fulfillment of many prophecies in Old Testament.

The good news is Jesus. The Lord would come to earth according to Malachi. Mark shows that this prophecy is fulfilled because John prepared to the arrival of Jesus. Here, the Lord (YHWH) is connected to Jesus.

YHWH testifies about Jesus in his baptism:

9-11 At this time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. The moment he came out of the water, he saw the sky split open and God’s Spirit, looking like a dove, come down on him. Along with the Spirit, a voice: “You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.”

Even the demons recognized Jesus:

23-24 Suddenly, while still in the meeting place, he was interrupted by a man who was deeply disturbed and yelling out, “What business do you have here with us, Jesus? Nazarene! I know what you’re up to! You’re the Holy One of God, and you’ve come to destroy us!”

How would YHWH deal with the mankind, deepened in sin? Would Jesus come close to the sinner? Yes and He came very close to a lepper (sin and lepper is extremely connected in the Old Testament):

40 A leper came to him, begging on his knees, “If you want to, you can cleanse me.”
41-45 Deeply moved, Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, “I want to. Be clean.” Then and there the leprosy was gone, his skin smooth and healthy. Jesus dismissed him with strict orders: “Say nothing to anyone. Take the offering for cleansing that Moses prescribed and present yourself to the priest. This will validate your healing to the people.” But as soon as the man was out of earshot, he told everyone he met what had happened, spreading the news all over town. So Jesus kept to out-of-the-way places, no longer able to move freely in and out of the city. But people found him, and came from all over.

Matthew 28: Jesus is risen

Jesus came to win over sin and death.
we read:

1-4 After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. Suddenly the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God’s angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn’t move.

We Christians understand that through Jesus, we have power to overcome sin and death. Jesus is our king. We belong to his kingdom. We read:

18-20 Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”

The church is the place that baptize people in the name of the Father , Son and Holy Spirit. It is also the place where the we receive the teachings of Jesus and transmit it to others. It should be the place where earth and heaven are together.

Matthew 27: Jesus is crucified as the king of the Jews

Jesus was accused of blasphemy by the high priest, however, this was not a great charge against him in the roman empire.
The Jewish leaders accused him of insubordination to the Roman empire when he was delivered to the governor Pilates.
we read:

11 Jesus was placed before the governor, who questioned him: “Are you the ‘King of the Jews’?”

27-31 The soldiers assigned to the governor took Jesus into the governor’s palace and got the entire brigade together for some fun. They stripped him and dressed him in a red robe. They plaited a crown from branches of a thornbush and set it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand for a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mocking reverence: “Bravo, King of the Jews!” they said. “Bravo!” Then they spit on him and hit him on the head with the stick. When they had had their fun, they took off the robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they proceeded out to the crucifixion.

35-40 After they had finished nailing him to the cross and were waiting for him to die, they killed time by throwing dice for his clothes. Above his head they had posted the criminal charge against him: this is Jesus, the king of the Jews. Along with him, they also crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: “You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days—so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you’re really God’s Son, come down from that cross!”

How could this happen? The Jews were expecting the Messiah for centuries. They were eager to see the Messiah after the exile from Babylon. It is ironic the Messiah came, the crowds saw him as the Messiah, the son of David, but not the Jewish leaders.  They delivered him to the Romans, to be crucified. We Christians understand that the Jews were expecting a Messiah that would set Israel free from his oppressors, while in fact Jesus came to set us free from sin and death. He is the lamb of God that took away our sins.

It is very interesting that the Jews knew that Jesus told he would rise from death after three days, so they asked the Romans to keep Jesus tomb safe from Jesus disciples.

Matthew 26: Jesus is the lamb of the Lord

The Jewish leaders plotted the death of Jesus. Judas made a deal with the Jewish leaders: he would betray Jesus for 30 coins of silver.
In the Jewish feast of Passover, Jews from around the world gathered around the temple of Jerusalem.
The Passover celebrates the freedom from Egypt, focusing on when the pharaoh authorized the Jews to worship the Lord in the desert. This happened after the pharaoh's son died due to the spirit of death that swept the Egypt. However, the Jews were told to mark their houses with the blood of the lamb. Those houses marked by the blood of the lamb were set aside from the spirit of death.
In the Passover celebration, Jesus had a meal with his disciples. We read:


26-29 During the meal, Jesus took and blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to his disciples:
Take, eat.
This is my body.
Taking the cup and thanking God, he gave it to them:
Drink this, all of you.
This is my blood,
God’s new covenant poured out for many people
    for the forgiveness of sins.
“I’ll not be drinking wine from this cup again until that new day when I’ll drink with you in the kingdom of my Father.”
30 They sang a hymn and went directly to Mount Olives.

In that meal, Jesus was sharing his body for the forgiveness of sins.
It is very interesting that Christians all around the world eat the holy supper. Every time we do this, we remember that Jesus gave his life for our sins. We can be confident that Jesus was not taken by surprise. His crucifixion was not any accident. Jesus is the lamb who set us free from death. Everything is under the Lord's control.

Matthew 25: Watch

Matthew 25 can be divided in three parts: 1. The Story of the Virgins, 2. The Story About Investment, 3. The Sheep and the Goats.
Jesus is the Lord who will stay absent for a long time. What will his disciples do when he is absent?
Will they watch? Will they take care of the Lord's priorities?
In all three parts, the Lord comes back and there is a judgement, a separation: some disciples didn´t watch, they made their own things their priority, others watched, they made Jesus things their priority.
My natural way of living is to make my things my priority.
My effort in reading the Bible is to surrender myself to Jesus, day by day. May the Spirit change my mind and make the work to obey the Lord, because it is necessary power to do so.

Matthew 24: Jesus prophesies

Jesus is in Jerusalem, very next to his crucifixion. He talks about the future of the temple:

1-2 Jesus then left the Temple. As he walked away, his disciples pointed out how very impressive the Temple architecture was. Jesus said, “You’re not impressed by all this sheer size, are you? The truth of the matter is that there’s not a stone in that building that is not going to end up in a pile of rubble.”

Titus desecrated the temple and then destroyed it in 70, We read:

15-20 “But be ready to run for it when you see the monster of desecration set up in the Temple sanctuary. The prophet Daniel described this. If you’ve read Daniel, you’ll know what I’m talking about. If you’re living in Judea at the time, run for the hills; if you’re working in the yard, don’t return to the house to get anything; if you’re out in the field, don’t go back and get your coat. Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard. Hope and pray this won’t happen during the winter or on a Sabbath.

It is not in the Bible, but Christians knew about this passage and a lot of Christians run away from Jerusalem when the temple was desecrated.

Jesus talks about his return:


39-44 “The Son of Man’s Arrival will be like that: Two men will be working in the field—one will be taken, one left behind; two women will be grinding at the mill—one will be taken, one left behind. So stay awake, alert. You have no idea what day your Master will show up. But you do know this: You know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to show up.

Jesus expects that his disciples keep his words meanwhile, so he says to them (to me) to be alert. He says the same thing in chapter 21. I belong to Jesus. I see myself as a Jesus slave, but am I doing his words?

Matthew 23: the Messiah of the Jews is rejected

Jewish leaders rejected the Messiah. He was expected to be received as in Psalm 118 (as in verse 39):

"Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!"

In fact, he was so received by the people of Jerusalem (children included), but he was rejected by the leaders. We read (MSG):

37-39 “Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Murderer of prophets! Killer of the ones who brought you God’s news! How often I’ve ached to embrace your children, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you wouldn’t let me. And now you’re so desolate, nothing but a ghost town. What is there left to say? Only this: I’m out of here soon. The next time you see me you’ll say, ‘Oh, God has blessed him! He’s come, bringing God’s rule!’”

Matthew 23 explain the psychology of the Jewish leaders, high priest included. They enjoyed to be seen as "men of God", but they didn't love the Word. They oppressed the people by many men made rules. We live in a world where many Christian churches behave exactly like the Jewish leaders behaved. Should we bow to religious leaders? We read:

8-10 “Don’t let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don’t set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of ‘Father’; you have only one Father, and he’s in heaven. And don’t let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them—Christ.

A Christian is not be put on a pedestal like the Jewish leaders, but why does that happen on Christian churches?
I daresay because men prefer to get simple (and silly) explanations or simple commands.
The Bible is the great defense to any manipulation, but do people read their Bibles?

Matthew 22: Jesus answer questions from his enemies

Jesus is in Jerusalem. Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians are against Jesus. They are enemies among themselves but they found an enemy in common: Jesus. These three groups of people ask questions to Jesus in order to test him and put him in a difficult situation. For instance: what is the position of Jesus about Roman taxes: pro or against? Some Jews hate Rome; and they are against Roman taxes. However if Jesus were against  Roman taxes he becomes against Rome and Caesar. Here is a difficult question in order to trap Jesus. We read:

18-19 Jesus knew they were up to no good. He said, “Why are you playing these games with me? Why are you trying to trap me? Do you have a coin? Let me see it.” They handed him a silver piece.
20 “This engraving—who does it look like? And whose name is on it?”
21 They said, “Caesar.”
“Then give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his.”  

Jesus didn't preach any revolt against the system, against Rome. In a way, he said to submit to Rome. He saw many ways to submit to the Lord and to Rome because most of time there's no conflict between Rome and the Lord even though Rome is a kingdom of this world and essentially evil. Christian pay the taxes and this is not evil (by contrary, it is good). Jesus is the king of the kingdom of heaven, but he came not to destroy the kingdom of this world, but to destroy sin and death. I am a sinner and my destine is the death. Jesus came to free me. Peter, John, etc. were Jews that ,very likely, had Rome as an enemy, but their great enemy was sin and death.

It is very easy to think that a kingdom comes when it win battles. Can we imagine a kingdom that wins by being submissive? Jesus way is very different, it is divine.

Matthew 21: Is Jesus the Messiah for Jerusalem people?

In Matthew 21 Jesus arrives in Jerusalem from Galilee. He is welcomed by the people of Jerusalem as the Messiah, the son of David:

6-9 The disciples went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do. They led the donkey and colt out, laid some of their clothes on them, and Jesus mounted. Nearly all the people in the crowd threw their garments down on the road, giving him a royal welcome. Others cut branches from the trees and threw them down as a welcome mat. Crowds went ahead and crowds followed, all of them calling out, “Hosanna to David’s son!” “Blessed is he who comes in God’s name!” “Hosanna in highest heaven!”

However, the Jewish leaders had another idea as for example: Jesus is a mere human - so it is an absurd that he is so welcomed in Jerusalem, or worse, he got power from Satan when performing miracles. Jesus said to them that they pretended to be doing the will of the Lord using just their mouth:


31-32 “Which of the two sons did what the father asked?”
They said, “The first.”
Jesus said, “Yes, and I tell you that crooks and whores are going to precede you into God’s kingdom. John came to you showing you the right road. You turned up your noses at him, but the crooks and whores believed him. Even when you saw their changed lives, you didn’t care enough to change and believe him.

In Matthew 21, we see Jesus as the Messiah to the crowd but not to the Jewish leaders. To welcome Jesus is to welcome the kingdom of heaven, while rejecting him is to reject the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 20: great in the kingdom of heaven

The mother of James and John requested Jesus that their sons would be great in the kingdom of heaven. We read:

24-28 When the ten others heard about this, they lost their tempers, thoroughly disgusted with the two brothers. So Jesus got them together to settle things down. He said, “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage.”

The great man in our world demands to be served, but in the kingdom of heaven, the greater a guy is, the more he serves. Jesus himself is the one who serves. He gave away his life in exchange of my life. If my king is the one who serves, how would dare I not to serve? Christ shows to serve and to suffer for the kingdom.

Matthew 19: eternal life and kingdom of heaven

Who has eternal life? Those who belong to the kingdom of heaven, right?! Who is saved in Christian terms? Those who surrender their life to Jesus. Where in the Bible may we put all this together? In Matthew 19, we see all this together.
We read:

16 Another day, a man stopped Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

A man (a rich guy) asks what he has to do to get eternal life, however here, in Matthew 19, is the first occurrence of "eternal life" of Matthew gospel. The enphasis on previous chapters has been on the kingdom of heaven. It is not explained how this guy came up with this question. I would expect much more a question like:

“Teacher, what good thing must I do to enter in the kingdom of heaven?”

However, after Jesus said that the rich guy should sell everything, he left Jesus. We read:

23-24 As he watched him go, Jesus told his disciples, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God’s kingdom? Let me tell you, it’s easier to gallop a camel through a needle’s eye than for the rich to enter God’s kingdom.”
25 The disciples were staggered. “Then who has any chance at all?”
26 Jesus looked hard at them and said, “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”

Jesus commented that it was difficult for the rich guy to enter God's kingdom, however the question was about "eternal life". We can understand that "eternal life" and "enter in God's kingdom" are close related. Every Christian who is saved, believes they are on the way to eternal life because they trust what the Lord has done to them. In this same chapter, we understand that Jesus thinks of himself as much more important than any other disciples' family. Every Christian surrenders his life to Jesus as in:

28-30 Jesus replied, “Yes, you have followed me. In the re-creation of the world, when the Son of Man will rule gloriously, you who have followed me will also rule, starting with the twelve tribes of Israel. And not only you, but anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields — whatever — because of me will get it all back a hundred times over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life. This is the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.”

Sadly for the rich guy, he couldn't give up everything to follow Jesus.